Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

ByMichael Burns

Introduction to the verb impétrer

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The English translation of the French verb impétrer is “to obtain” or “to procure.” The infinitive form is pronounced as “ahm-peh-tray.”

The word impétrer comes from the Latin word “impetrare,” which means “to obtain.” It first appeared in the French language in the 12th century and has been in use ever since.

In everyday French, impétrer is most often used in the Plus-que-parfait tense to express an action that was completed in the past before another past action. This tense is formed by using the auxiliary verb “avoir” or “être” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Here are three simple examples of impétrer in the Plus-que-parfait tense with their English translations:

  1. J’avais impétré une autorisation pour visiter le musée avant qu’il ne ferme. (I had obtained permission to visit the museum before it closed.)

  2. Elle était partie impétrer des renseignements sur le nouveau projet avant de commencer à travailler dessus. (She had gone to get information about the new project before starting to work on it.)

  3. Nous avions impétré un remboursement pour nos billets d’avion avant qu’ils ne soient annulés. (We had procured a refund for our plane tickets before they were cancelled.)

Table of the Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of impétrer

Pronoun Conjugation Short Example English Translation
je j’avais impétré J’avais impétré un permis. I had obtained a permit.
tu tu avais impétré Tu avais impétré un passeport. You had obtained a passport.
il il avait impétré Il avait impétré une subvention. He had obtained a grant.
elle elle avait impétré Elle avait impétré une bourse. She had obtained a scholarship.
on on avait impétré On avait impétré une autorisation. One had obtained a permit.
nous nous avions impétré Nous avions impétré l’autorisation. We had obtained permission.
vous vous aviez impétré Vous aviez impétré un visa. You had obtained a visa.
ils ils avaient impétré Ils avaient impétré une licence. They had obtained a license.
elles elles avaient impétré Elles avaient impétré un droit. They had obtained a right.

Other Conjugations for Impétrer.

   
    Le Present (Present Tense) Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Imparfait (Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Passé Simple (Simple Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Passé Composé (Present Perfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Futur Simple (Simple Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Futur Proche (Near Future) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer     (this article)

    Passé Antérieur (Past Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    Futur Antérieur (Future Anterior) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    Subjonctif Présent (Subjunctive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    Subjonctif Passé (Subjunctive Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Subjonctif Imparfait (Subjunctive Imperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    Subjonctif Plus-que-parfait (Subjunctive Pluperfect) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Conditionnel Présent (Conditional Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer
   

    Conditionnel Passé (Conditional Past) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    L’impératif Présent (Imperative Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    L’infinitif Présent (Infinitive Present) Tense Conjugation of the French Verb impétrer

    Struggling with French verbs or the language in general? Why not use our free French Grammar Checker – no registration required!
   

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Impétrer – About the French Plus-que-parfait (Pluperfect) Tense

The French “plus-que-parfait” tense is a past tense used to express actions or events that occurred before another past action or event. It is often translated to English as the “pluperfect” tense. The name “plus-que-parfait” literally means “more than perfect,” indicating that it is a tense used to describe actions that were completed before a specific point in the past.
NOTE: To take a deep dive into all the French tenses then see my article on Mastering French Tense Conjugation.

Tense Formation

To form the plus-que-parfait tense, you typically use the auxiliary verb “avoir” (to have) or “être” (to be) in the imperfect tense, followed by the past participle of the main verb. Here are the conjugations for both auxiliary verbs:
1. With “avoir” as the auxiliary verb:
   – J’avais mangé (I had eaten)
   – Tu avais parlé (You had spoken)
   – Il/elle/on avait fini (He/She/One had finished)
   – Nous avions lu (We had read)
   – Vous aviez choisi (You had chosen)
   – Ils/elles avaient joué (They had played)
2. With “être” as the auxiliary verb (usually for intransitive verbs or verbs indicating a state):
   – J’étais parti(e) (I had left)
   – Tu étais arrivé(e) (You had arrived)
   – Il/elle/on était tombé(e) (He/She/One had fallen)
   – Nous étions resté(e)s (We had stayed)
   – Vous étiez né(e)(s) (You had been born)
   – Ils/elles étaient monté(e)s (They had gone up)

Common everyday usage patterns

Sequencing of past events

The plus-que-parfait is used to express a past action that happened before another past action. For example, “J’avais mangé avant qu’il ne soit arrivé” (I had eaten before he arrived).

Background information

It is also used to provide background information or set the stage for a main past event. For instance, “Quand je suis arrivé, ils avaient déjà fini de manger” (When I arrived, they had already finished eating).

Hypothetical or reported speech

In indirect speech, the plus-que-parfait is used to report what someone had said or thought in the past. For example, “Il avait dit qu’il viendrait demain” (He had said that he would come tomorrow).

Interactions with other tenses

– The plus-que-parfait is often used in conjunction with the passé composé (simple past) to establish the sequence of past events. The passé composé describes the more recent action, while the plus-que-parfait describes the action that occurred earlier.
– It can also be used with the conditional mood to express a hypothetical past event, like “Si j’avais su, j’aurais agi différemment” (If I had known, I would have acted differently).
– When used in reported speech, it can be combined with the conditional mood or the imperfect subjunctive to reflect the original mood and tense of the reported statement.

Summary

The French plus-que-parfait tense is an essential part of the language for expressing past actions that occurred before other past actions, providing background information, and reporting past statements or thoughts. It is an integral component of constructing complex and accurate narratives in French.

I hope you enjoyed this article on the verb impétrer. Still in a learning mood? Check out another TOTALLY random French verb conjugation!

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